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Citizens National Bank (CNB) was founded in 1963 to support small businesses and households, and was under the control of the Korean government.
Following the appointment of Byoung Soon Song as president in 1980, CNB introduced a range of new management policies. These included the creation of new financial products and an increased emphasis on employee training.
To outwardly express these significant internal changes, designer Young Jae Cho was commissioned to develop a new corporate identity for the bank.
The identity was built around two key values: the friendliness expected of a people’s bank and the progressiveness of an organisation adapting proactively to a changing environment through the introduction new financial products.
The logo devised by Cho sought to combine and convey these notion in the form of a four-leaf clover. Its familiar shape and association with good fortune intended to give the bank an approachable character, while its repeated lines introduced movement and a sense of momentum. This dynamism became more apparent when the symbol was arranged as a diagonal pattern.
A magpie mascot was also introduced, and formed another important element of the identity, appearing alongside the logo and corporate logotype. Like the clover, the magpie was associated with good fortune in Korea. Traditionally believed to bring good news, the magpie was also widely regarded as a favourite bird of the Korean people, making it an appropriate expression of the bank’s friendly and accessible character.
The magpie appeared in five variations, each depicting the bird in flight. These could be combined in different configurations to communicate both friendliness and corporate dynamism. The mascot was later expanded into a more expressive, cartoon-like figure, introducing narrative and thematic elements across the bank’s advertising and other forms of communications.
The new corporate identity was accompanied a period of significant growth. Within two years of its introduction, CNB’s total deposits had risen from 1.1 trillion to 2.6 trillion won, making it Korea’s largest bank.
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The deposits doubling right after the rebrand is a neat ending. But the new boss changed the products and training at the same time. These things are difficult measure, but interesting to know.